Former Delray Firefighter Returns To Take Chief`s Job

November 10, 1985|By Joseph Schwerdt, Staff Writer

DELRAY BEACH — It took a short stint as a newspaper reporter to convince Kerry Koen he should be a firefighter.

As a part-time reporter for a small weekly newspaper in Herrin, Ill., Koen often visited the firehouse during his daily rounds. By the end of the summer, Koen realized he might enjoy a career as a firefighter more than a newspaper reporter. So when his parents moved to Boca Raton in 1964, Koen began his career at the Boca Raton Fire Department. A year later he took a job with the Delray Beach Fire Department.

His career took off, and Koen pursued a fire service career in Illinois and Tennessee.

Now 41, Koen is coming home again. Tuesday, City Manager James Pennington named Koen the new fire chief. Koen will manage a department of 88 employees with a nearly $4 million budget.

``It will be nice to come back to Delray Beach again,`` said Koen, who will start his $46,000 a year job on Dec. 15. ``It`s a wonderful place to raise a family. Many parts of Delray haven`t changed. It`s a fast growth area, but there are sections of the downtown that are exactly like I remember it.``

After about a year in Boca Raton in 1965, Koen worked for about six months as one of 20 firefighters in the Delray Beach Fire Department. Koen spent the year as a deputy state fire marshal in Illinois, then came back to Boca Raton in 1966 as a firefighter. He quickly moved up the ladder and by 1970 was named the city`s fire marshal.

Koen has degrees in fire science and administration from Palm Beach Junior and Broward Community colleges.

``There`s no question that he has a very indepth knowledge of firefighting practices,`` Pennington said.

After 10 years with fire department in Memphis, Tenn., Koen became the director of fire service programs for Public Technology Inc., based in Washington D.C. Public Technologies provides the governments with information on new technologies and management systems.

Koen still lives in Memphis and works out of his home. For the last year, he`s traveled the country for Public Technologies as a trouble shooter for various fire departments.

``Kerry is a very dedicated and well-learned individual,`` said Boca Raton Fire Department Commander Ken Barran, who worked with Koen in 1964. ``He`s well versed in all aspects of firefighting. He`s hard working and intelligent. He`ll be a good leader.

``I haven`t seen Kerry in 20 years,`` said Wayne Roseke, interim Delray Beach fire chief. ``He was dedicated and had his sights set on a career in fire service. He`s certainly done well for himself.``

But what was good news for Koen was bad news for Roseke. A firefighter in Delray Beach since 1963, Roseke has served as interim chief since a heart attack forced former chief Todd Jackson to resign a year ago. Roseke applied for the job and said he hoped he had displayed his abilities through his handling of the department over the last year.

``Naturally I`m disappointed,`` Roseke said. ``You work for something for 22 years and you don`t get it, you`re going to be disappointed. But I have to be realistic. (Pennington) obviously felt his (Koen`s) credentials were better than mine. The city manager did what he felt was in the best interests of the department. And I don`t have any problem with that.``

Roseke said he plans to stay with the Delray Beach Fire Department, ``unless he (Koen) runs me out. But I don`t think he`ll do that,`` he said.

Koen said, ``I don`t have any major changes planned. I just want to sit down with the men and find out what`s going on. They have a good record and they`re very aggressive in their programs.``